Former Sony games executive Shawn Layden criticized PlayStation’s move away from physical discs, warning that a shift to digital access could damage the brand’s reputation.
Speaking on The Expansion Pass podcast, Layden acknowledged the convenience of digital games but said physical buyers remained important. If roughly 80% of players download games and 20% buy physical copies, he said, “that’s a super important 20%.”
He described collectors who buy multiple copies of a game as the most “faithful of the faithful” players. “I don’t agree with that decision,” he said of moving away from discs.
Layden joined Sony in 1987 and later led its game development studios. He retired as chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios in 2019.
He said he lacked access to PlayStation’s internal financial data and did not know the specific financial reasons behind the decision.
Layden called the ownership question the more “insidious” issue, distinguishing between owning a game and having access to a digital asset.
“If you can’t sell a thing, that means you don’t own a thing. And if you don’t own it, then what are you buying?” he said.
He warned that consumers could imagine worst-case scenarios about purchased access, creating a “significant brand hit.”
Market experts have noted that disc sales still generate substantial revenue for Sony’s biggest games.
Layden previously said “the market has said they will continue to buy them” and suggested PlayStation’s approach could “heavily influence” Xbox and Nintendo’s future handling of physical games.
Tags: ps5
